I arrived at Compton Terrace Gardens on time, but found our three first-timers already hard at work. The co-ordinator from Upper Street Association told me they knew each other. They hadn't - they'd never met before, but were seemingly firm friends within minutes

Jo was very well organised, having already acquired her GoodGym shirt. She was preparing for a wedding trip to Spain, a country Irati knows well. Thea is a community worker with Barnet council, but was happy to help GoodGym in her home borough

This mission was part of the Mayor of London’s community weekend, so having been supplied with a banner and bunting by GoodGym central team I hung these on the railings outside before getting down to work

At first, we swept leaves from the grass, onto the surrounding soil, around large trees, which will act as a natural mulch, providing nutrients as they decompose, retaining soil moisture, and suppressing weeds

Then we took wheelbarrows to the other part of the gardens, where we shovelled compost, which had taken two years to decompose, over to the flower beds. We were up and down many times and got a good workout from shovelling the compost into the barrows. One of the wheelbarrows had a fully blown-up tyre!

I’d brought rainproof clothing, as the weather outlook had looked poor, but the sun shined on our task, and I accidently left my jacket in a bush but was able to retrieve it after breakfast in the café opposite

7 GoodGymers dodged the rain – captured the leaves – and sewed the seeds!!

Six pm on Wednesday was a very wet six pm. It pelted and plummeted and we considered – for a fleeting moment – whether to cancel our evening!

But we very happily proceeded and three of us – Gemma (on their first good deed – welcome!!), John, and I – took a conversation-filled run through (a drying...) Camden Town, where (en route) Sarah called out and made our three into a merry four.

Arriving at Cecil Sharp House, we were met by Ana (also on their first good deed – welcome!!), Siobhan, Steve, and our host Susannah.

And we quickly got to it.

Ana, John, and Sarah demonstrated the quickest way to build a gazebo, before planting hundreds of seeds into fertile pots – I am looking forward to seeing what grows!

Meanwhile, Gemma, Siobhan, and Steve grabbed rakes, brooms, and gloves, and they turned a leaf-strewn garden into picture perfect site of lawn and path!

Thank you, everyone!! Here's to next time!!

People arrived in dribs and drabs, all discipline having disappeared from the group, for some reason… But we all put in a good shift, until well after our allotted finish time

Lazar – a Tower Hamlets first-timer – came all the way from Serbia (been there!), via Hackney, where he now lives. Three of us were fresh (or not so fresh) from taking on the Big Half, where another two of tonight’s attendees had been cheering us hoarse from a balcony, to little or no response

Rohan, Lazar and myself set to work shaping a bush, though we resisted any urge to topiary, we just made it look a lot tidier. Ivo got mulching with large bits of cardboard, while Tom mixed paint. Anna and Lobo, from Southern Europe (been there!) via Wapping, roughened up a bench, making it look worse, before turning it into something beautiful with gleaming green paint

Lucinda and Ilana took on all sorts of tasks; they swept cigarette ends and rubbish from the floor into the huge bins, then made a big hole in some earth into which they planted a many-rooted bush. This relieved the frustration on a day when cycling to work proved stressful, with rather a lot of bikes on London’s roads (been there!)

I went with Tom to cover some nearby graffiti, a more artistic task than it sounds, as each brick was to be painted a different shade. Reinforcements – most of the rest of the team – came to help with a hugely satisfying job

Eventually, it was way past eight o’clock and time to return to the estate via a zebra crossing, Anna fulfilling a lifelong ambition to become a lollipop lady. All she needs is a big lollipop - I’d only brought gloves, this time

Meanwhile, oblivious to all this, Ilana and Lucinda were cutting back rose bushes, while trying to avoid falling into those huge bins. Thinking we’d sneaked off home and left them all alone, they already had their bike lights on, when we all appeared from round the corner, said “surprise surprise!” and joined them for the group photo

Join us for more fun next week at Ocean Youth Connexions https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/the-big-monday-night-task-september-visit-to-ocean-youth-connexions

Later in the month, we’re returning to the Coburn for their Sunday night quiz https://www.goodgym.org/happenings/quiz-night-at-the-coburn

and in October, it’s our last organised walk of the year: from Dover to Folkestone https://www.goodgym.org/v3/sessions/walk-from-dover-to-folkestone

See you soon!

London's community half marathon went red this year! 🔥

A huge congratulations to the oodles of GoodGym folk who caught well-earned happy mornings under a hot-hot-hot late summer sun ☺️

It was the biggest joy seeing you all!

Please send me your photos (!) and I will pop them up here (alexmurtough@goodgym.org) ❤️